Electric switch for street-railways.



No. 811,519. PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906. J. A. POSEY. ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR STREET RAILWAYS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAILH, 1905.

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Mir/e66 e5 v Awe/778x" PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

J. A. POSEY. ELEGTRIG SWITCH FOR STREET RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14, 1905.

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rrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. POSEY, OF MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS, ASSIGrNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO POSEY AUTOMATIC SWITCHING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed March 14,1905. Serial No. 250.095.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James A. Poser, a citizen of the United States, residing at Midlothian, Texas, have invented an Electric Switch for StreetRailways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrically-controlled switches for. street-railways, and the object is to provide a method of operating the switches of the track from the car, so that a motorman can operate or turn the switches without stopping a car. Means are provided by which the switches of the railway-track may be controlled by electricity, and the motorman is provided with a circuit-closer located on the car at a suitable place within easy reach. so that the electric controlling means can be operated at will. Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application and specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car, showing the'wires for the currents of electricity in dotted outline and showing the flanking-wire suspended above the car and showing the connection from the flanking-wire to the car and to the track. Fig.2 is a front elevation of the usual trolley pole and wheel and the flankingwire trolley carried by the trolley-pole. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a railway track and switch equipped with the improved switching mechanism. Fig. 4 is a broken plan view of the track to which the switching mechanism is connected, showing casings for the switching mechanism with their tops removed and showing a section ofthe pipe containing the switchrod. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the switchinglever. Fig. 6 is a broken plan view of the switch-throwing bar and rod and the switchlock. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the box or casing which contains the switching mechanism, showing a side elevation of said mechanism. Fig. 8 is a cross-section taken along the line 9c of Fig. 6.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

For the purpose of illustrating this invention a car 1 of the usual construction is shown in Fig. 1. This car is provided with the usual trolley-pole 2 and trolley-wheel 3, which engages the line-wire 4. A flanking-wireS is mounted parallel to the line-wire 4 by guy wires 6, the wire 5 being attached to the hangers 7 electrically. A wire 8 is electrically connected to a wire 6 and is run down one of the posts 9 and connected to the operating-magnet 10. At their outer ends the hangers 7 are curved upward, so that the flanking-wire trolley-wheel 11 will be readily engaged by the wire 5. The wheel 11 is supported by a trolley-fork 12, which is attached to the main trolley-pole 2, but is insulated therefrom. A wire 13 is connected to the trolley-fork 12 and to the wire 14. This makes electrical connection of the fork 12 with the wire 14. Wires 14 and 15 are shown in dotted outline and constitute, with thekeys 16 and 17, the means for opening and closing the circuit. The motorman can open or close the circuit with either key 16 or key 17. The wire 15 is electrically connected to the trolley-stand 18 by a wire 19. The current from the trolley-stand 18 may be reduced by a number of electric lights 20, connected in series.

The switch-throwing mechanism is inclosed in a box 21. The rod 22 for operating the switch-throwing mechanism is inclosed in a pipe 28, and the crank connection of the rod 22 is inclosed in a box 24. A depressible lever 25 is mounted on a rook-shaft 26 and stands normally in the position shown in Fig.

5 and may be depressed to the position of the dotted outline by a wheel of a passing car. The box 24 is attached to the rail 27, and bearings 28 are carried by the box 24 for the shaft 26. A11 upstanding crank 29 is mounted rigidly on the shaft 26, and the rod 22 is pivotally connected with the crank 29. The

rod 22 enters the box 21 through a stufling box 30 and is attached to a sliding springpressed bar 31. bearings 32, which may be formed integral The bar 31 is provided with with the box 21. The bar 31 has a depending lug 33, and a spiral spring 34 is attached to said lug and to the bearing 32. The bar 31 carries a locking-roller 35, which is held normally against the locking bar or yoke 36 by the spiral spring 34. The locking-yoke 36 has recesses 37 and 38 therein to receive the roller 35. The yoke 36is rigidly attached to a switch-tongue bar 39 by suitable clamps thus shift the bar 39.

nections will secure a supply of electricity 40. This switch-tongue bar is attached to 1 the switch-tongue 41 by a suitable pin or bolt 42 and must move whenever the switchtongue 41 is moved, and the switch-tongue must move whenever the bar 39 is moved. Bell-crank levers 43 and 44 are pivotally connected with the bar 39 and are provided with suitable fulcrum-pillars 45, one oiwhichis seen in Fig. 7. The pillars 45 may be formed integral with the box 21. A reversing or controlling hook 46 is pivotally mounted on the bar 31 and is provided with a counterweight 47, which extends backward within the box 21. The hook 46 has a catch on each side thereof, so that this hook is adapted to operate either one of the levers 43 and 44. The lever 43 has an upwardly-projecting lug 48, and the lever 44 has a similar lug 49. The hook 46 is adapted to engage either one of these lugs to operate the switch-tongue bar 39. A spiral spring 50 is attached to the side of the box 21 and to the hook 46 and holds the hook 46 normally on the side next to the lever 44. In Fig. 4 the hook 46 is shown drawn to its limit by the rod 22, because pressure is supposed to be on the lever 25. As soon as pressure is removed from the lever 25 the spiral spring 34 will draw the bar 31 to its normal position, and consequently the hook46 will be brought to its normal position, which will be on the side, as shown; but the lever 44 will remain in the position shown until the hook 46 is made to operate on the lever 43, which operation will shift the bar 39 and throw the tongue 41 to the position shown in Fig. 3. This last operation is accomplished by means of the magnet 10. An armature 52 is connected by a rod 53 to the hook 46, and when the magnet 10 is electrified the magnet will attract the armature 52, and thus draw the hook 46 to the side next to the lever 43. This will make the lug 48 stand in the path of the hook 46, and when a car presses on the lever 25 the rod 22 will cause the hook 46 to engage the lug 48, and

The electrical connection of the magnet 10 is completed by a wire 54, which is connected to the magnet 10 and to the side of the box 21, which is metallic and inelectrical connection with the rail 27. The wire 54 might be simply grounded. This arrangement of the electrical confrom the main trolley-wire 4 to control the operation of the switch-tongue 41 when the motorman closes the circuit. Any ordinary circuit-closing key 16 or 17 may be used for the purpose.

The object of the roller 35 and the locking yoke 37 is to lock' the switch-tongue against accidental displacement. Means are provided whereby the roller can be forced from one locking-recess to the other in the yoke 37. The spiral spring 34 holds the roller 35 yieldingly against the yoke 37. Suppose the tongue 41 is would take place if the tongue was in the position shown in Fig. 3 and a car should come in the direction of the arrow on track 56. The roller 35 would shift from recess 37 to recess 38.

The switching mechanism is under the control of the motorman. If the motorman wishes to go on the side track 56 and switchtongue 41 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the switching will bedone automatically as the car-wheel passes over the lever 25, because the hook 46 stands normally on the side next to lever 44, and the hook will engage the lug 49 whenever the lever 25 is depressed with the hook in its normal position; but if the motorman wishes to continue on the main line 55 he will have to close the circuit with his key 16 and electrify the magnet 10, so that the armature 52 will draw the hook 46 toward the magnet. This will cause the hook 46 to miss the lug 49. Consequently the switch 41 will remain in the position shown in Fig. 3. In the latter case there will be no movement of the lever 43 because the lug 48 will stand at its limit in the direction of the rod 22. If the motorman wishes to continue on the main line 55 and the switchtongue 41 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, he will have to close the circuit with his key 16 and electrify the magnet 10. This will draw the hook 46 toward the magnet, so that when the car-wheel presses on the lever 25 the hook 46 will engage the lug 48, and thus throw the tongue from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the positon shown in Fig. 3. If the motorman wishes to go on theside track 56 IIO and the tongue 41 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, he will do nothing with the switching mechanism. press the lever 25, but no effect is produced, because the lug 49 is already back to its limit toward the rod 22. It is apparent that many changes in the construction and arrangement of the various parts may be made without departing from my invention. Only one switch-track is shown. that the invention is adaptable for various switches.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electric switch for railways comprising a pivoted switch-tongue, a shifting-bar pivotally connected to said tongue, levers provided with suitable fulcrums and pivot- It is apparent ally connected to said shifting-bar and disposed to move in the plane of said bar, mechanical means whereby a passing car may actuate either one of said levers, and electrical devices whereby a motorman upon a passing car can cause either lever to be actuated at will.

2. An electric switch for railways comprising a pivoted switch-tongue, a shifting-bar connected to said tongue and adapted to move said tongue to open or close the switch for either the main line or a branch line, levers capable of independent action pivotally connected to said shifting-bar, a hook normally disengaged from said levers, but set to actuate one of said levers and operable by the wheel of a passing car, and electrical devices by which a motorman on a passing car may set said hook to engage the other lever.

3. An electric switch for railways comprising a pivoted switch-tongue, a bar capable of reciprocal motion connected to said tongue levers capable of independent action pivotally connected to said bar, a spring-pressed bar carrying a pivoted hook, a spring normally controlling said hook to cause the same to engage one of said levers, an armature connected to said hook and a controlling-magnet whereby said hook may be caused to engage the other one of said levers, and a depressible lever operatively connected to said springpressed bar.

4. An electric switch for railways having a pivoted switch-tongue, a bar capable of reciprocal motion connected to said tongue a spring-pressed bar carrying a pivoted hook provided with a catch on each side, levers pivotally connected to said reciprocal-motion bar, means for causing said hook to engage either one of said levers, and a depressible lever operatively connected to said springpressed bar.

5. An electric switch for railways having a pivoted switch-tongue, a switch-tongue bar connected to said tongue and carrying a locking-yoke, levers pivotally connected to said switch-tongue bar, and an actuating-bar carrying a hook adapted to engage either one of said levers and carrying a roller engaging said locking-yoke whereby said switch-tongue bar is yieldingly held against accidental displacement.

6. An electric switch for railways having a pivoted switch-tongue, a sliding bar attached to said switchtongue, a locking-yoke mounted rigidly on said bar and provided with recesses in the edge thereof, levers pivotally connected to said sliding bar, and a springpressed actuating-bar carrying a hook adapted to engage either one of said levers, and carrying a roller adjacent to said yoke, said roller normally engaging said yoke in one of said recesses to hold said switch-tongue against accidental displacement.

7. An electric switch for railways having mechanical devices adapted normally when actuated by the wheels of a passing car for closing a switch, a magnet provided with a suitable armature for setting said mechanical devices for opening said switch, a flanking trolley-wire electrically connected to said magnet, said magnet being electrically connected with a rail of the railway, a circuit carried by the car, one arm of said circuit being connected to said flanking trolley-wire, and the other arm of said circuit being electrically connected with the main trolley-wire, and a key for opening and closing said circuit, substantially as described.

8. An electric switch for railways having mechanical devices normally adapted when actuated by the wheels of a passing car for closing a switch, and electrical devices adapted to put said mechanical devices in condition for opening said switch consisting of a magnet provided with an armature operatively connected to said mechanical devices, a circuit carried by a car one arm of said circuit being electrically connected to said magnet, and the other arm of said circuit being electrically connected with a supply of electricity for the car, and a key for opening or closing said circuit, substantially as described.

9. An electric switch for railways having mechanical devices normally adapted when actuated by the wheels of a passing car for closing a switch, a magnet provided with an armature operatively connected to said mechanical devices adapted for opening said switch, a flanking trolley-wire, a trolley-fork carrying a trolley-wheel and being attached to the main trolley-pole of the car, a circuit carried by the car, one side of said circuit being connected. to said trolley-fork and the other side of said circuit connected to the main trolley-pole, said flanking-trolley being electrically connected to said magnet, and a key for said circuit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the presence of two March, 1905.

JAMES A. POSEY.

Witnesses:

A. L. JACKSON, J. W. STITT.

witnesses, this 2d day of 

